Armadillo Bile

• Type: Potion Ingredient
• Source: Armadillo
• Primary Known Property: A powerful stunning agent
• Known Use: Ingredient in the Wit-Sharpening Potion (Pottermore), (video game)

The physical properties of Armadillo Bile, such as its colour, consistency, or scent, are not described in the original novels. As a biological substance, its appearance can only be speculated upon.

Armadillo Bile is a potent magical substance known primarily for its powerful stunning effects. Its fumes alone are suggested to be strong enough to affect even incredibly resilient magical creatures like dragons. Known uses and properties include:

• Stunning Agent: A mere “whiff” of Armadillo Bile is considered potent enough to potentially stun a dragon. However, the practical application of this is difficult, as it requires getting the substance very close to the target.
• Potion Ingredient: Armadillo Bile is a key ingredient used in the brewing of the Wit-Sharpening Potion, a potion that allows the drinker to think more clearly. (Pottermore), (video game)

Armadillo Bile is mentioned once in the series, during the lead-up to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. While researching ways for Harry Potter to survive his encounter with a dragon, Hermione Granger discovers its stunning properties. She suggests to Harry that a whiff of it might be enough to subdue the creature. However, she quickly dismisses her own idea as impractical, questioning how Harry could possibly get a vial of bile close enough to the dragon's nose to be effective. This mention serves to illustrate the high stakes of the task and highlights Hermione's exhaustive research, while also reinforcing that Harry must rely on his own specific skills, like flying, rather than an obscure potion ingredient.

• In the real world, bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver. The armadillo is a New World placental mammal with a leathery armor shell.
• While the novels only speculate on its use as a stunning agent, its role as an ingredient in the Wit-Sharpening Potion is established in supplementary materials, including the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website and several video games such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Game Boy Color) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game).